Ion mobility spectrometry refers to an analytical technique that can be used to separate and identify ionized material, such as molecules and atoms. Ionized material can be identified in the gas phase based on mobility in a carrier buffer gas. Thus, an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) can identify material from a sample of interest by ionizing the material and measuring the time it takes the resulting ions to reach a detector. An ion's time of flight is associated with its ion mobility, which relates to the mass and geometry of the material that was ionized. The output of an IMS detector can be visually represented as a spectrum of peak height versus drift time. In some instances, IMS detection is performed at an elevated temperature (e.g., above one hundred degrees Celsius (100° C.)). In other instances, IMS detection can be performed without heating. IMS detection can be used for military and security applications, e.g., to detect drugs, explosives, and so forth. IMS detection can also be used in laboratory analytical applications, and with complementary detection techniques such as mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography, and so forth.